Saturday, 6 November 2010

No blog yesterday as we transferred from Franz Josef to Wanaka. I usually write last thing at night but yesterday evening heard that my PhD supervisor, Prof Dudley Williams, had died after a short illness. He was a big influence on me and my career and a very kind, special man. I will miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Pat and the family.

My back is still not good so instead of the originally planned big hike we walked a small hill just outside Wanaka called Rocky Mountain, about 740m high. Clouds on the high tops to start with but then mostly clear blue skies. Saw Mount Aspiring in the distance, one of the 3000m peaks in New Zealand.

Stayed on the top for an hour or so waiting for the view to clear, which it did. Then back to car and a few photos from the odd roadside stop before heading for the Wanaka Ale House for a few beers.

Tomorrow we move on to Queenstown.

If you ever get the chance to visit South Island New Zealand and want some different photos stop at Ship Creek between Fox Glacier and Haast. There is a freshwater stream running behind the sandy beach, past some rocky coves and across the sand into the sea. Lots of sand dunes and tussock grass too. A great place for photos and I could have spent all day there.

About Me

I am a professional fine-art photographer working exclusively in black and white, using medium format Mamiya 7 cameras with Ilford FP4 120 film. I hand print my work in the darkroom using archivally processed Ilford Multigrade FB papers and am an Ilford Master Darkroom Printer, and the only one trained by Ilford Photo during the 21 years that I worked for them. Visit www.davebutcher.co.uk to view my work, buy photographs, books, photo courses and darkroom workshops and see what lectures I am giving. My work is also available for image licensing for calendars, posters, cards, etc.